TOMS RIVER — A new mural celebrating kindness, youth, and community was unveiled at RWJBarnabas Health’s Community Medical Center.
The Kindness Grows mural, a 4-by-4-foot artwork now on display in the hospital’s outpatient lobby, was inspired by the 2024 “Chalk the Walk” event, when local students decorated sidewalks with positive messages. It features a portrait of then-5th grader Angelina Gross and incorporates words of kindness contributed by students, parents, and teachers.
Local artists Steve Schreiber, Gianna Masi, and Fernan Dungca created the piece, with community partners helping to prepare and support the project. “This project represents what happens when a community comes together to make kindness visible,” said Amy Carreno, manager of Toms River Communities That Care.
Hospital leaders said the mural will serve as a reminder of the community’s values and the compassion behind the event that inspired it.
